Free Workshop – The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a fast developing growth area which combines hardware, software and data expertise. This introductory course will cover the basics of connected devices using the low cost Raspberry Pi computer and the Arduino micro controller board.

Who is this course for?

Any adults with an interest in the Internet of Things! We welcome beginners – no previous experience of coding, programming or electronics needed!

Equipment you’ll need

You’ll need your own laptop to connect to our wi-fi hotspot and a free USB port.

We’ll start with the ‘internet’ aspects and look at the flow software ‘Node-RED’ running on a Raspberry Pi to create software that can respond to internet requests, translate those into actions to or reactions from the ‘things’ and create a user interface for control and monitoring. Node-RED is a visual programming language which uses a flow-sheet type approach, so is great for beginners.

Then we’ll move on to the ‘things’ aspect and use the popular Arduino micro controller board to introduce interfacing hardware to software. A wide range of input devices (sensors) and output devices (actuators) will be covered. The Arduino is programmed in a c-like language and as a device is suitable to beginners with an enormous community of example code available. Some basic electronics will also be introduced, but no pre-existing knowledge is assumed.

The software and hardware sides will be brought together to provide an example application with a simple user interface,

This workshop is delivered on behalf of the Big Ideas Generators Project by Grallator.

Grallator specialises in the application of science and maths to industry and education using computer technology.